Machine for making water-coolers.



No. 690,002. Patented Dec. 3|, l90l.

E. J. WITTEBOLLE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING WATER GOULEBS.

(Application filed my 22, 1901.)

3 Shaun-Sheet I.

(In Model.)

r. bNwMAM/m Q. 624%. mm awmmm.

mmm 6/ 62.

- Patented Dan. 3!, 190i. E. J. WITTEBOLLE.

MACHiNE FOR MAKING WATER GOOLERS. $1 i 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Application filed my 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 3|, l90l.

Nu. swam.

E. J. WITTE BULLE. MACHINE FDR MAKING WATER GOULEBS.

(Application flied May 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

PATENT Orricn.

EMILE J. VVITTEBOLLE, OF CAMDEN, NEWV JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR MAKING W'ATER-COOLERS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 690,002, dated December 1901- Application filed May 22, 1901. erial No. 61.362. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE J. WITTEBOLLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Making Water-Coolers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of articles from sheet metal; and the object of my invention is to furnish a machine whereby the breast, body, and well of a water-cooler may be fastened together without solder and practically in one operation.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine for securing the well, body, and breast of a water-cooler; Fig. 2, a top view of the die for expanding the upper flange of breast and top of well; Fig. 3, a side elevation of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a side elevation of the upper part of the die shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a bottom plan of Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a side elevation of lower part of expanding-die; Fig. 6-, a section through the lower part of expanding-die on line A B, Fig. 5; Fig. 7, an enlarged section through the former, showing the several parts of the water-cooler in place before they have been 0perated upon, the expanding-die being shown in elevation; Fig. 8, a view of the upper part of Fig. 7, showing the die expanded and the curling-tool in operation; Fig. 9, a similar' section of one side of the former, showing the flattening-tool in operation; Fig. 10, a section through one side of the die and one side of the top of the completed cooler, the latter being lifted above the top of the formingblock; Fig. 11, a plan of former; Fig. 12, a perspective view of one of the movable sections forming the top of the former.

a is the former, which corresponds in shape with the shape of the body and breast of a water-cooler and the inside of which corresponds in form with the shape of the well. This former is furnished with a vertical slot b, Figs. 1 and 7, to permit the passage of the pipe 0, Fig. 7, which is secured in the usual manner to the well d and through which the water in the well is drawn oft. This pipe passes, as is usual, through a hole e in the body f.

g is a flange on the upper end of body).

his the breast, the lower end of which is furnished with a horizontal flange i and the upper end of which is furnished with a downwardly-projecting flange j.

The Well dis first placed inside the bodyf, and these parts are then placed upon the former, the well in the inside, the body upon the outside, and the pipe 0 passing through the slot 1).

7c, Fig. 1, is a latch, pivoted to the former and adapted to close the slot Z) at a point directly behind the flanges on the top of bodyf and bottom of breast h. This latch is opened to permit the pipe 0 to pass down the slot b and is closed after the pipe has passed, so that the former will be continuous du ring the operation of bending and flattening the flanges.

The body and well having been put in place, the breast h is placed on top of the former, its horizontal flange i, which is somewhat wider than the flange g on body f, resting on flange g and its downwardly-projecting flangej passing down inside the top of the well, as shown in Fig. 7.

The former a is carried upon a slide Z, which may be moved in or out on guides m, Fig. 1, and the guides in are in turn carried by vertical guides a. By means of a treadle 0 and any suitable intermediate mechanism the guides at and former a may be raised so that the lower end of the die 19 will enter the upper end of the well (Z, as shown in Fig. 7. As the former is raised the top of the breast h, which rests on the former, engages and lifts the lower collar 1' of the die. This collar carries expanding jaws s, (best shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 6,) which are furnished with radial dovetails, which are carried in dovetail slots 25' in collar 1'. The inner ends of the expanding jaws are, when the collar is lifted, adapted to be engaged bya cone-shaped piece to, Figs. 3 and 4, carried by the upper collar '1 of the die 13. This cone-shaped piece forces the jaws s outward, and they engage the inner side of the flange j on the breast and drive this flange and the upper end of the well into the annular recess w, formed upon the upper inner end of the former a and shown in Figs. 7-, 8, 9, 10, and 12. This looks the upper end of the well to the breast.

The recess to may be formed directly upon the inside of the top of the former a; but when so formed it is more or less difficult to withdraw the cooler from the former after the several parts have been operated upon. In order to obviate this difficulty, I prefer to make the top of the former of separate pieces 10, in which the groove w is formed. The bottoms of the pieces 10 are wedge-shaped, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12, and rest in a Wedge-shaped groove 11, formed around the top of the former proper.

12 represents springs normally lifting the pieces 10 and 13, bolts or pins being secured to the pieces 10 and passing downward and through the head on the upper part of the former.

The normal position of the pieces 10 is raised, as shown in Fig. 10. In this position the insides of these pieces are on a line with or outside of the inner wall of the former, permitting the easy introduction or withdrawal of the well 01. When the diep is lowered, or the former lifted, the die engages and lowers the pieces 10, which, owing to their wedgeshaped lower ends and the wedge shaped groove 11, are at the same time moved inward, taking when fully moved down the position shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

The die 19, which is carried upon a shaft 1, which is carried in suitable bearings 2 in a frame 3, is constantly and rapidly rotated in any suitable manner, and in order. to prevent the jaws 3 being thrown outward by centrifugal force before they are entered in the former I have provided a ring 4, which is carried by pins 5, working loosely in collar 0. The ring4 surrounds the outer ends of the jaws s and is normally held in its lowest position by springs 14, Figs. 3 and .6, or b gravity.

The several parts of the cooler having been put in place upon the former, this latter is lifted, and its top, or rather the top part of the breast, engages the ring land lifts it until it engages the collar r, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. After this engagementis made the collar 4 is lifted until it engages collar 4;. The coneshaped piece it now engages the inner ends of the expanding-dies s, and the outer ends of these dies force the upper end of the well and the downwardly-projecting flange on top of breast it into the groove w, as described. The diess are rotated by any suitable means. In the drawings a belt I) and pulley p, the latter fast upon shaft 1, which carries dies 3, is shown as the rotating means. The jaws s of the dies having engaged the breast and pushed it in against the body when the former was lifted into contact with the dies, the rotation of the dies is transmitted to the entire cooler,

which revolves at the same speed as the shaft 1. The lever 6, Fig. 1, carried on an arm 7, carried by the frame 3 of the machine, is now moved inward, so as to bring the curling-wheel 8, which it carries, into contact with the flanges g 2' on the body and breast, it being noted that the frame m, carrying the former, and the former are now elevated, so that the wheel 8 will be directly opposite the flanges, and the upper flange '5 is thereby curled in under the lower flange g, as shown in Fig. 8. The flattening-Wheel 9, also carried by lever 6, is now brought against the flanges by a reverse movement of lever 6, and they are thereby flattened down, as shown in Fig. 9, securely joining the body and breast without the use of solder.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a device for securing the body, breast and well of a water-cooler, in combination, a former the outside of which corresponds in shape to that of the body and breast of a Water-cooler and the inside to that of the Well and which is furnished with an annular groove at its upper inside end and which can be rotated upon its vertical axis, a die with expand ing jaws adapted to enter the inside of said former, means for expanding said jaws upon contact of the former and die, means for rotating said die, means for elevating and depressing said former, and a curling and a flattening tool adapted to curl and flatten the adjacent flanges of the breastand body, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a device for securing the body, breast and well of a-water-cooler, in combination, a former as described, capable of being rotated on its vertical axis and furnished with a vertical slot upon one side and with an annular groove at its upper inside end, a latch for closing the upper portion of said slot, at support carrying said former capable of a horizontal and a vertical movement, means for? imparting said movements to said former, an expanding-die corresponding in form with that of said groove in the top of said former .adapted to enter said former and to be expanded upon contact therewith, means for supporting and means for rotating said die, a curling-wheel and a flattening-wheel for curling and flattening the adjacent flangesof the breast and body, and means for carrying said wheels and for alternately bringing them into operative action.

3. In an expanding-die, in combination,- a

collar, a conical expander carried by said colmovement of said jaws until lifted out of contact therewith, and springs for normally forothe top of which is furnished with a groove ing said stops downward. as described, and springs for normally hold- 4. In combination, aformer furnished at its ing said ring in an elevated position.

top with an annular Wedge-shaped groove, a EMILE J. WITTEBOLLE.

sectional movable ring, the bottom of which Witnesses:

is wedge-shaped and adapted to rest in the GEORGE W. SELTZER,

v groove in the former, and the inner side of CHARLES A. BUTTER. 

